Kansas has unexpectedly become competitive in the battle for Senate control during President Trump’s second term. A New York Times/Siena University poll released this weekend put first-term Republican Senator Roger Marshall and Democratic challenger the Rev. Adam Hamilton at 45 percent each, while some recent surveys show Hamilton tied with or slightly ahead. The Senate Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC aligned with Senate leadership, plans to spend $14 million to support Marshall, much of it on ads attacking Hamilton, a political newcomer and pastor who founded the largest United Methodist church in the country. The group recently shifted some funds from North Carolina, where Democrat Roy Cooper leads Republican Michael Whatley in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Thom Tillis. Cook Political Report and Decision Desk HQ rate Kansas as leaning Republican, while their North Carolina assessments favor Democrats. Market pricing has reflected a reduced likelihood of a Democratic victory. Kansas’s farming-heavy economy has faced higher fuel costs linked to Mr. Trump’s war with Iran and pressure on cattle farmers from lower-tariff ground beef imports allowed as part of his trade wars.